


Kiss From A Rose

by BlaireNicole



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 23:43:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6446938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlaireNicole/pseuds/BlaireNicole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something changes in Dr. Sheldon Cooper the day he and his friends set off to Jamaica for a work experiment while Penny and Leonard begin to have irreconcilable differences which become even more so when Penny realizes she has feelings for someone else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This whole thing is a freestyle. I'm actually writing on here as I go, rather than having it written somewhere else and uploading or copying and pasting. I do have a general outline in my head as to how things will play out and I have to warn you that this story kind of throws Leonard and Amy under the bus so if you have soft spots for them, this one is probably not for you.

Chapter One 

 

It had been a hard day's work at The Cheesecake Factory on West Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California. Fridays usually always were. For one cheerful, smiling blonde waitress, today had been a great day as far as she was concerned. The day had flown by fairly quickly as Penny's thoughts were on the vacation she was about to take with her best friends; a vacation for her and her two girlfriends anyways. For the rest of their group it was work; a scientific project taking place in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The California Institute of Technology had asked for volunteers and it had been Penny's boyfriend, Leonard's, idea to get everyone involved. It was the first of June and the perfect time to take off to somewhere they'd never been. 

Penny had been successful in getting Holly, her sullen, teenage trainee, to cover her shifts. Holly sidled up to her now to help her finish arranging the silverware, popping her bubblegum and sighing like she would rather be anywhere else. 

"I swear if I get one more table five minutes before I have to leave..." Penny glanced at the clock. If she left on time, that would mean she had fifteen minutes to get home and finish packing. Damn her disorganization. Leonard had reminded her enough for the both of them to pack ahead of time and still she hadn't. Maybe he'd gone ahead and done the Leonard thing to do and packed for her. 

As soon as the clock hit 2:00, Penny whipped her apron off, getting ketchup on her fingers in the process. She quickly clocked out before her manager could see her and ask any more favors, and left the restaurant to greet the bright sunshine outside. Traffic was a little heavy, but she made it in good time and hurried to climb the stairs up to the fourth floor. When she arrived at the landing, she saw Leonard and Sheldon waiting outside of 4A with their luggage. And apparently hers. Penny grinned at Leonard sheepishly, but he pointed at Sheldon who was surprisingly quiet. 

"He didn't want to be late," Leonard confessed, obviously unsure whether Penny was going to be irritated about it or not. 

"How'd you know what to pack?" She asked Sheldon, convinced he had no idea what she would have packed for herself. 

"Penny, please" He said in that tone that was so like Sheldon. The tone he used when he was about to remind her that he knew everything. But he didn't. He just looked at her. 

"Okay?" Penny searched him, trying to read his face but this was a rare occasion where she couldn't.

The rest of the group was waiting for them outside the terminal. Howard and Bernadette were giggling about something or other, Raj was texting on his phone with a self satisfied smirk on his face, and Amy was smiling and waving as Penny, Sheldon, and Leonard approached. She smiled hugely at Sheldon, who only nodded in reply. Penny winced to herself. She could never understand how Amy did it. She gave and gave and received hardly anything in return. 

"We should be getting ready to board any second," Leonard mused, squinting at his watch. 

"Flight's been delayed, we actually have about an hour to kill," Howard interjected, standing up. It was the first time Penny had ever seen him in a sweat suit. She supposed because of airport security reasons, he had decided not to wear the belt buckle. "There's a bar right around the corner over there." 

"You guys know where to find me!" Penny joked. It was vacation time, even though she was still in Pasadena. She was off the clock, so it counted. "Bernadette? Amy? Care to join me?" 

"It's not even five o clock, yet," Leonard remarked, trying to hide his superiority behind a smile. Penny knew better. This is just what Leonard did. Before she could respond, Sheldon spoke for the first time since he'd scoffed at her question outside of the apartment. 

"I think if you want to have a drink, you should." 

Everyone blinked at Sheldon's non disparing comment. Everyone except Raj, who was still preoccupied with his phone. 

"I think I'll even join you." 

Amy frowned. "But Sheldon, you don't drink." 

"I think I'll start." His eyes reverted back to Penny. She saw something odd in them and for the life of her couldn't figure out what it was. 

"What's wrong with him?" Bernadette asked in Penny's ear as he and Amy took off towards the bar. 

"No clue, but I have to get out of this uniform. I'll meet you over there." 

As Bernadette nodded and moved off, Leonard tried to make up for what he'd said about it being too early for a drink.

"You know I didn't mean-"  
"Yeah, I know." 

She headed for the bathroom on the opposite side of the gate before Leonard could make her upset. She didn't want her mood to get spoiled when she just wanted to have fun. She locked herself in the stall and opened her carry on bag which she was happy to see had a couple outfits in them. Sheldon must have figured she would want to change. As she pulled a pair of Capri sweats and a white tee (comftorable to fly in) out of the bag, a pair of black thongs fell out onto the bathroom floor. She stared down at them for a moment, wondering how she felt about the fact that Sheldon had been in her underwear drawer and had selected these out of all the dozens of pairs she owned. She stuck her hand back into the bag and felt around until she pulled out an even smaller pair of red see through g strings. She held them up, staring at them. A small flutter in her stomach and a twinge between her legs brought her back to reality and she began to change, unable to stop herself from wondering. 

 

EARLIER THAT SAME DAY 

Sheldon looked at the clock again. It was almost 1:30 and Penny still wasn't home yet. He couldn't stand to be late. He hated to be late, no matter the occasion. Especially when catching a flight was involved. 

"She'll be back in time, Sheldon," Leonard said from the kitchen island. "There's no way Penny would mess up a trip to Jamaica."  
Sheldon didn't respond. He'd give it five more minutes. He watched the hands of the clock keep moving. No Penny. He rose and retrieved the emergency key from the bowl on top of the bookcase, ignored Leonard's protests, and let himself into Penny's cluttered apartment. He looked from the magazines littering the coffee table to the blankets strewn over the sofa to her bedroom door, which was left ajar.  
Once inside her bedroom, he inhaled and was met with the faint smell of green apples. Some kind of body spray. He inhaled again. It smelled like Penny in here.  
Her suitcase was lying open in the middle of her bed. Two others were full and zipped beside it. After rummaging through the filled suitcases to deduce what had already been packed, he set about finishing the project.  
Penny's underwear drawer was stocked so full she had some falling out.  
Sheldon slowly pulled out a red pair that he could see through, his heart beating incredibly fast. He sighed. Everyone thought he had no sexual thoughts or urges. No, he was just extremely versed in hiding those particular feelings. He hid them because no one would really understand what he truly wanted to say... Sheldon stared at the red panties he held in his hand, his cock twitching, beginning to come to life. God, how he dreamed about Penny when he was alone. The last time he'd caught sight of her panties... The time he'd had to help her out of the tub... No one had any idea of the furiosity in which he drove himself to climax later that night once he was alone. He might have even noticed her before Leonard had. It was why he kept changing the WiFi password on her every month. She was so incredibly sexy when she marched up to him like that, eyes on fire, skin flushed... It was so easy to imagine what her perky boobs looked like underneath the shirts she wore so precariously low around him.  
And now... As he stood looking at her panties, he felt an overwhelming urge to let her know that he not only was aware of her womanhood, but that he appreciated it. He selected her skimpiest looking panties. The crotchless ones, the ones that he knew would ride up between her beautiful ass just by walking. She would know he'd touched them, saw them, picked them out. With the smell of Penny everywhere and the detail of her panties up close, Sheldon finished packing, his cock throbbing against his briefs.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... I'm the type of person who thinks of music when I write; it kind of plays out like a movie scene in my mind. And since I'm not copying and pasting anything, I can't really use italics but you'll easily be able to tell the difference between the song lyrics and the actual story.

~~~~~~~~~~ I just wanna stay in the sun where I find I know it's hard sometimes. Pieces of peace in the sun's peace of mind. I know it's hard sometimes. Yeah, I think about the end just way too much but it's fun to fantasize. All my enemies who wouldn't wish who I was, but it's fun to fantasize. I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride. I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride, taking my time on my ride.~~~~~~~~~~

 

The flight to Ocho Rios was made much less tedious by the drinks that had been had before boarding and then during. Penny and Amy giggled their way through the Boscobel airport, trying to remain serious in their state of tipsiness while Bernadette tsked and clucked at them to hurry up like an irritated mother which only made the two laugh harder. The only sober members of the group were Leonard and Howard who seemed to be trying to keep a respectable distance away from the rest of them.   
The shuttle bus took them to their hotel, The Moon Palace on Ocho Rios' main street. The hotel was whitewashed, set amidst a grove of palm trees. From where Penny stood, she could hear the waves crashing onto some beach nearby. 

The lobby inside was decorated like the inside of a hut. A very large hut. Penny nearly had to crane her neck to look at the ceiling. Flowers and plants stood in every corner. There was even sand scattered here and there with pebbles and starfish intertwined throughout it. As soon as the squat woman with long braids at the front desk checked them in, they were greeted by four staff wearing matching white uniforms who were to take them to their rooms. 

"We're not staying together?" Penny asked once she realized he was rooming with Howard and Sheldon. 

"Yeah about that.." Leonard looked uncomftorable. "Caltech already kind of set it up. You guys weren't technically supposed to come." 

Bernadette and Amy didn't look surprised. Penny wondered if this was something she should have already grasped. Once again, she couldn't keep up with the brainy bunch. It wasn't a big deal, however. A small part of her was even a little relieved. 

The Moon Palace was amazing. There was a spa and a hair salon, which was free for guests with a certain package, a beautiful restaurant, and a path that led through some palm trees down to a white, sandy beach. The girls were freshening up, getting ready to meet the guys for dinner. Penny was finishing up in the shower when she realized she'd forgotten her bathrobe. She turned the water off, shaking her head. 

"Guys?" She called through the door but no one answered. She opened the door a little further, letting her steam escape. She shivered, goosebumps appearing on her naked body. There was no one in the bedroom and the window was wide open; the window that faced towards the beach with people milling around all over it. If she didn't want anyone to see her, she would have to crawl on her knees like a dog. The towel she'd used would do her no good. It would cover her breasts, but that was about it. 

"Dammit!" 

She sighed and lowered herself to her knees and began crawling towards the oak dresser where she'd left her suitcase. She was halfway there when she heard an intake of breath behind her. She turned around quickly, ending up on her knees, her right arm covering her breasts and her left trying to shield her box, staring in humiliation up at Sheldon, who was staring back. She expected him to cover his eyes or run away but he surprised her for the third time by staying perfectly still, his eyes partly lidded, his mouth parted slightly in... Awe? 

Penny was too shocked at first to say anything. His reaction was far from what she thought he would have done and she had no idea how to process how he was looking at her. Then, out of nowhere, he walked quickly over to the window and drew the curtains closed, dimming the room considerably but at least she could stand up now. 

He pulled her bathrobe out of her suitcase and stood close enough to her back to where the material brushed up against her. She reached behind her and took it, wrapping it around herself because Amy's face was dancing in her mind and something about this exchange felt inappropriate. He walked around her, his arm brushig hers.

"Penny?" He said softly, pausing at the door, his back turned to her.   
She had to clear her throat. "Yes?"   
He paused a second longer.  
"Don't be late for dinner."   
She stared after him, her brow furrowed, thoroughly confused. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ I'd die for you, that's easy to say. We all have a list of people we would take. A bullet for me, a bullet for you, a bullet for everybody in this room, but I don't seem to see many bullets coming through. Bullets coming through. Metaphorically I'm the man but literally I don't know what I'd do. I'd live for you and that's hard to do, even harder to say when you know it's not true. Even harder to write when you know that tonight there were people back home trying to talk to you but then you ignored them still. All these questions- they're for real like 'who would you live for, who would you die for, would you ever kill?' I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride. I'm falling so I'm taking my time on my ride. Taking my time on my ride.~~~~~~~~~~

 

Penny dressed in a sleek lace black dress for dinner with her hair let down, ending in soft curls around her shoulders. She knew she was supposed to be impressing Leonard, but it had been Sheldon who had picked every article of clothing she had to wear on this vacation so oddly, she felt she was wearing it for him. This thought half disturbed her. For one because it was Sheldon Cooper, her annoying, batty next door neighbor who drove her to homicidal thoughts. The nut who was her best friend, probably more than anyone else in the group- even Leonard. Sheldon was there for Penny no matter how uncomftorable it had made him. Now that she thought about it, she was the only one who Sheldon EVER put before himself, including Amy. Amy... If she only knew what Penny was thinking. 

She had been lost in thought all the way down to dinner and only realized they were there when Leonard kissed her cheek and exclaimed how beautiful she was. 

"That was ma on the phone," Howard was saying. "She says the nurse isn't rubbing her kankles the right way." Raj whispered something in his ear. Howard shot him a disgusted look. "No, that's not what kankels are!" He hissed.   
Bernadette nudged her husband. "Howie, we're about to eat."   
"You look handsome, Sheldon," Amy offered, clearly hoping to get a bone.   
Sheldon did look handsome, Penny noticed. He wore a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway and dark denim slacks. 

Once they were seated and had been presented with menus, he groaned under his breath.   
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Penny asked, leaning into him.   
"I did see this being an issue," He replied, scanning the menu for something he would agree to eat. "Don't they have a pizza place at least?   
"You want to eat pizza in Jamaica?" Penny asked increduously.   
He turned to her and said underneath his breath, while locking his blue eyes onto her green ones, "I really do."   
Penny wasn't as smart as the rest of the group, but she was smart enough to understand that that wasn't a public invitation. Sheldon was asking her to go get pizza with him alone. She was entirely too intruiged to turn him down. He obviously had something he wanted to talk to her about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference- Ride by Twenty-One Pilots


	3. Chapter 3

Sheldon Cooper had always been a genius. He'd been smarter than his entire elementary, middle school, high school, and eventually, university class. He was raised to fold his clothing, take care of his friends, and follow a schedule. His days had consisted of breakfast, school, homework, studying, reading, and well... More studying. His sister had been embarrassed by him, his parents had been clueless. His father had loved the bottle more than his family, his mother had turned to religion in order to cope, and Sheldon had turned to books. 

From a very early age, Sheldon learned how to suppress the 'normal' urges of other human beings in order to shut off any kind of emotion. He saw what that did to people. As a little boy, he learned nothing about conversation from his parents other than that the point was to disagree.

As an adult, he vowed to try his absolute best to never become like his father. He would never drink. He would never lose control. He would never allow himself the feels of another woman; the sensation it brung. He also saw what that did to people. He saw how it had driven his parents to divorce after years of fighting. He saw how it obsessed the minds of his coworkers at Caltech. 

Yes. Sheldon Cooper was 100% in control. Unlike his family. Unlike his sister, who valued a man's opinion above her own. Unlike his mother who needed an invisible voice to tell her whether she was worthy of eternity or not. 

The day Sheldon met Penny was the first day he had been stung by the pang of any kind of emotion in quite some time.

He was stunned at first. He could only manage a quick 'Hi' and then ended up watching Leonard babble on. 

He had rounded the corner with Leonard, chatting at his back, when he saw her. She was standing in her apartment with the door wide open, having just moved in. It was like sunlight and happiness hit Sheldon all at once, rendering him speechless. She was like the early childhood laughs he had shared with his sister. She was like the feeling he got when he tasted warm, buttermilk pancakes cooked in bacon grease. 

He had never felt more comfortable with anyone for a very long time and it caused a fiery yearning within him he was terrified of. Besides, Leonard had fallen pretty hard and seemed to want Penny as much as Sheldon had, so he'd let it go in an effort to please. He knew he could be hard to live with. 

Over the years, the yearning had only grown stronger, to the point where Sheldon could hardly come close to Penny without becoming insanely aroused. He had even tried to distract himself by spending time with another woman, Amy, but it just never came close to the electricity he felt when around Penny. 

He tried to hide it with excuses. He pretended like he didn't want her germs. He tried to act like he had a personal bubble he did not want her to invade. Which he didn't because he was sure his physical anatomy would give himself away. 

He had finally bucked up the courage to get her alone. To talk. To test his limits. To see what would eventually come flying out of his mouth. They walked along the palm tree strewn path towards the beach. Sheldon wondered if she really thought they were going to get pizza or if she knew there was something else he wanted. He never could tell with her. 

"So what's up, moonpie?" She teased him as they walked along.  
Sheldon would normally object to this. He hated it when she called him moonpie. It reminded him of his meemaw and Sheldon didn't want to associate Penny with family. At all.  
However, he had other things on his mind. 

"Hello?" Penny nagged. She grabbed his wrist to stop him in front of her. "What's up?" 

Sheldon looked down into her face. Her green eyes, her blonde hair, her beautiful skin, her beautiful body, her kind spirit, her pink heart shaped lips. Without thinking he took her face in his hands, running his fingers through her hair. Penny stood still, staring up at him, questions flooding beautiful eyes, moistoned with emotion. 

He abandoned all pretense and lowered his lips to hers, parting them with his, sucking on her top lip, caressing her mouth. To his pleasure, she didn't object. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew in closer, kissing him back. A soft moan escaped her and he groaned in return, backing her up against a tree, his hands snaking around her waist. Instinct was taking him over. 

Their kiss became more passionate. Penny's fingers traced the side of Seldon's face and tangled themselves in his hair. He bit her bottom lip, breathing heavily. His erection pushed against her and she met his thrust, devoiring his mouth, driving him crazy... 

The sound of Bernadette's laughter drifted down the path. Penny fumbled underneath Sheldon and began smoothing her hair and fixing her dress.  
"Shit," she swore before running off down the path, out of sight. Sheldon stood there, still breathing heavily, stunned at what had just happened. The voices came closer and Sheldon, too, took off down the path towards the beach; if just to spare some time to think up an alibi.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun rose the following morning, bringing with it an early stream of stragglers heading off to the worksite; it seemed that The moon Palace was playing host to volunteers from universities around the globe. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ Well I got a plan in the palm of my hand to get me rollin. Well I got a plan in the palm of my hand to get me golden.~~~~~~~~~~

 

Amy and Bernadette chatted most of the way through breakfast. Their voices were like a quiet hum in Penny's ears, her mind stuck on last night. She couldn't properly concentrate on the food in front of her, either. She didn't remember what she'd ordered and she didn't even know what it was. She just took bites every now and again, not tasting whatever it was she was eating. 

After breakfast, it was Bernadette's idea to walk down to the beach. Penny had decided to put last night out of her mind. She was going to enjoy this vacation, she wasn't going to allow guilt to take over, she wasn't going to stay stuck in confusion. That was until Bernadette, after rummaging through her beach bag, announced she'd left her wallet back in the hotel room. She left Amy and Penny sitting alone at the tiki bar. When being forced to look at her friend, Penny found it was much harder to forget what had happened. 

"Penny, can I ask you something?" She was staring down at her coconut, looking serious and troubled. Penny closed her eyes, sure she was about to get called out. "How do you get men to...want you?" 

Penny looked Amy over. Her lumpy arms looked as though they'd never seen the light of day. She sat hunched over, her limp brown hair laying in two folds over each shoulder. Her long khaki skirt came down to her knees but what wasn't covered stuck out like two white chickens. She felt a familiar surge of pity mixed with love. The fact that she hadn't somehow figured out what had happened between her and Sheldon made Penny feel even worse. Amy trusted her. 

"I don't really know, Amy," She confessed. "I'm just-"  
"Yourself?" Amy interrupted, looking sadly up at her. "I thought that by being myself, it made me the ideal partner for Sheldon but now I'm starting to think that maybe I should be more like... Well, more like you." 

Penny sucked her drink through her straw as fast as she could, ignoring the burn of alcohol. She was too sober for all of this. 

"Could you help me?" Amy asked pathetically.  
Once Penny looked at her, it was all but impossible to say no. In all actuality, she didn't really want anything to do with this. With... She sighed internally. The way she felt torn between being a loyal friend and exploring feelings that she thought had been there for a long time was driving her crazy. 

"Of course I'll help you!" Penny fixed her face into what she hoped was an enthusiastic expression. After Amy finished hugging her and had returned to her coconut, Peny's face fell, hidden behind blonde hair. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ You can try, you can try to put it all on the line but I ain't comin home till you kiss the sky. All I want, all I want, all I really really want is to know that the love is worth the sacrifice. I got a plan in the palm of my hand to keep me rollin. I got a plan in the palm of my hand to get me golden.~~~~~~~~~~

 

At the worksite, Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard had been busy all morning going through filing cabinets, organizing which of Dr. Rabson's theories had already been proven, disproven, or neither. 

Sheldon had been so distracted he couldn't manage to be his usual overbearing self. He worked quietly while Howard, Raj, and Leonard chatted and compared theories. 

When lunchtime rolled around, Sheldon took the opportunity to hang behind while Leonard finished organizing the stack of papers he'd been leaving through before following the others out the door. 

"Something bothering you?" He asked, squinting up at Sheldon, a sweat spot staining the front of his tshirt. "You've been really quiet all morning." 

Yes, something was bothering him, alright. Leonard was his friend. Leonard would never question Sheldon's loyalty and Sheldon would never question Leonard's. Was love a good enough reason to damn every friendship agreement from now till the apocalypse? Maybe not when it came to just anyone, but this was Penny. If God really did exist, she would be the first blessing he would ask for. 

"Buddy?" Leonard prompted, looking slightly concerned. They walked out of the worksite together and back towards the hotel along a winding dirt road between tall sand dunes. Up ahead, they could see Howard and Raj. 

"Leonard, why do you love Penny?" Sheldon finally asked as they walked along. He suspected he already knew the answer but he needed validation.  
Leonard shrugged. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as her before and no one as beautiful as her ever gave me the time of day."  
Sheldon stopped walking. "That's why you love her? Because she's beautiful?"  
Leonard looked confused. "And other things."  
"What other things?"  
Leonard wiped her brow with the back of his arm. "Why are you asking, Sheldon?"  
"I'm just trying to understand."  
Leonard rolled his eyes and continued walking, taking Sheldon's questioning for snideness. 

Penny's heart stood still as she saw the guys approaching from the dirt pathway leading away from the beach. Her eyes hooked on Sheldon. He looked deep in thought as the rest of them talked and laughed. 

She suddenly became aware of her bikini which stretched tight over her breasts and hung low on her hips. She thought again about how Sheldon had packed for her. There wasn't a single one piece in that suitcase. 

Leonard plopped down next to her in the sand, breathing hard from the heat of the sun and the long walk back. Through her sunglasses, she saw Sheldon glance at her before sitting on a towel that Amy offered him. 

"Did you find something to do while I was gone?" Leonard asked her. She wanted to reply with a sarcastic 'no', but she but her tongue. She was sure she was cranky from not knowing what the hell was going on with Sheldon. Who, at the moment, was taking every chance he could to let his eyes roam over her nearly naked body with soft blue eyes. This sent flutters surging through her belly. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ When the city sleeps in yeah, we'll slip right on through the back. When the city sleeps in yeah, we'll slip right on through the cracks. When the city sleeps in yeah, we'll slip right on through the back. When the city sleeps in yeah, we'll slip right on through the cracks~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

"I'm about to order some food," Leonard announced, reminding Penny where she was. He looked annoyed.  
"Sheldon, do you want anything?" Amy asked, standing. Sheldon looked up at her like he'd also forgotten where he was.  
"Just a salad." 

As soon as Leonard, Howard, Raj, and Amy left for the array of food truck vendors parked near the beach, Penny moved from her chair to sit next to Sheldon. The sand was hot on her skin but it killed the goosebumps that crept up from being so close to him. 

She leaned in close to his ear so that he could hear her over the waves. Her lips brushed against his earlobe and she felt him shudder.  
"Why did you kiss me?" She demanded. She had meant to be angry from the conversation she'd had earlier with Amy. Her voice came out a little weaker.  
"Meet me here at 1:00 AM. I'll explain." He turned his face towards hers. They were now so close they were staring at each other eyeball to eyeball. Blue to green. Just like the ocean waves crashing on the sandy beach. 

"What are you guys doing?" Bernadette's high voiced squeaked at them. They jumped, brought back to their surroundings with a jolt. 

"Oh, ya know..." Penny shrugged. "Checking his ears for...ladybugs."  
Sheldon smiled unconvincingly up at Bernadette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference- Get Me Golden by Terraplane Sun


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm confused on how this works? I see the story getting 'hits' but I wanna know how many of you, if anyone at all, is keeping up with it? Let me know how you feel about it so far in the comments! :)

After a long afternoon of snorkeling, sightseeing, and playing in the waves, Sheldon was unsure if Penny would keep their date. He was afraid the alcohol would take its effect and knock her out as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

It was 10:00 at night and the group hung out at a local bar right on the beach. The girls were having a blast, getting drunk and dancing. Leonard sat next to Sheldon, nursing a beer and watching Penny dancing with Amy and Bernadette. Sheldon was watching as well. She moved easily to the live music, her dress showing off her long, tanned legs. 

"Here you go, Sheldon." Howard appeared at Sheldon's elbow with two beers.   
"Dude, are you serious?" Raj exclaimed, his eyes wide. "That's like your fourth beer. You never drink."   
Sheldon shrugged. "Seems entirely appropriate. I'm on vacation."   
Howard looked over at Leonard, who was still watching Penny with a sullen look on his face.   
"Well, we know who's NOT enjoying himself." Howard said sarcastically, seating himself next to Raj. 

Penny chose to come up at that moment. She stood between Sheldon and Leonard at their little round wooden table. Her skin was flushed, her green eyes bright. She stood a little closer to Sheldon than was nessesary but it was hard for him to tell if she was doing it on purpose or not. She stood with her back to him, saying something to Leonard, brushing her leg against his. He could see the curve of her ass practically sitting on his lap and he began to get excited. He looked away and happened to see Howard staring at him, eyes narrowed, a little smile playing around the corners of his mouth. 

"Okay fine." Penny was heard saying before turning away from Leonard and placing her hand on Sheldon's arm. "Come on, Sheldon, dance with me."   
He allowed himself to be pulled from the table and into the throng of people dancing on the beach. It was at that moment, he felt how buzzed he really was. His head spun in a nice, funny kind of way.

Penny twirled herself under Sheldon's arm and drew herself in closer, wrapping one arm around his neck. He led them to a fast two step and dipped her low before bringing her back up to him, her hair brushing against his face. She was smiling that warm, kind smile. He couldn't help but smile too.

The song changed. The band began playing a much slower tune, the drums fading in sound as a woman's deep sultry voice took their place. 

They looked at each other for a minute. Asking with each other's eyes if they wanted to stay where they were. Penny laid her head on Sheldon's chest and wrapped both arms around his neck, pressing herself into him. He laid his cheek on top of her head and tightened his arms around her body so that they were hugging... Hugging and swaying to the music. 

Sheldon felt his heart rate speed up. This felt good. It felt right. He nearly kissed the top of her head because what was happening felt natural but he remembered that the rest of the group was probably watching. He lessened his hold and moved Penny off of him, his hands gripping her shoulders. 

"Not here." He was surprised to hear his voice come out low and husky. He had to walk away before she and everyone else saw what Penny really did to him. He turned and weaved his way back to the table, leaving Penny behind. 

 

Penny watched Sheldon go, feeling both buzzed and daring. She wanted time to talk to him. Time alone. She knew that if he really wanted the same thing, he would follow her cue. 

She followed him back to the table, feigning a tired look on her face.   
"I'm all of a sudden not feeling well." She blurted out. She hoped to god she was believable. She must be the only actress ever who was terrible at lying.   
"Not surprising. You've been drinking all day." Leonard mumbled, still sulking.   
Penny sighed. "Are you coming?" She knew that when Leonard had decided to be stubborn, he would say no.   
Sure enough and with perfect timing, "Get Sheldon to take you."   
She heard a hint of jealous sarcasm and knew he had not liked the way they'd been dancing, but Sheldon, ever so naive when it came to sarcasm, stood.   
"Have fun." He sounded like he was gritting his teeth.   
"Feel better, bestie! I'll come check on you later." Amy pulled Penny into a hug and she tried to swallow the horrible guilt that threatened to come up her throat in the form of vomit. 

They made their way up to the hotel in silence, walking along the palm tree path. Suddenly Sheldon stopped and took Penny by the hand. She stared up at him, waiting, searching his eyes.   
"I kissed you because i'm in love with you."   
Penny gasped, her heart picking up speed, shocked at what she was hearing.   
"I've always been in love with you. I knew I was in love with you before Leonard even ever thought he was."   
"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked softly, wondering what things would be like now if he had.   
"I didn't want to compete with Leonard."   
Penny threw caution to the winds. She led Sheldon off the beaten path through the palm trees until they were completely surrounded and the only sounds was of the warm breeze rustling through the leaves and the sound of waves crashing. She could have this one time couldn't she? Just once? For all the times they'd both thought about it, both wondered? 

She leaned her back against a palm tree and slowly unbuttoned the top of her dress, exposing bare cleavage, her nipples straining against the tight dress. Sheldon stood there, watching her with lust filled eyes, drinking her in. She watched the bulge grow in his pants and he drew nearer, placing his hands above her on the branch of the tree. He lowered his face to hers and captured her mouth in his, suckling and groaning. For some reason, this turned Penny on in a way it never did with Leonard. This was real. This was urgency. She knew Sheldon needed her. 

They kissed each other on every exposed inch of each other's mouths, breaking for air, coming back for more. Their breaths grew ragged as they ran their hands over each other's bodies, getting lost in the sheer heat of the moment. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea. You became the light on the dark side of me. Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill. But did you know that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.~~~~~~~~~~

 

She found him with her hand, sliding it along his rock hard shaft, straining against his pants. She took it as best she could through his clothes and rubbed up and down. 

Sheldon buried his face in her neck  
"Penny..."   
"Sheldon," she whispered in response. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say.~~~~~~~~~~

 

She stood up straighter and slipped out of her dress, letting it fall around her feet. Sheldon unbuttoned his pants and shoved them down along with his boxer briefs. Not surprising to Penny, he was a 'big boy'. Long and thick, it throbbed slightly as Sheldon watched her lay down in the sand between the trees and rub her clit with one hand, and fondle her hardened nipples with the other. 

Sheldon laid down on his side next to her and took her face in his hands, kissing and licking her lips, biting the swollen center. She grasped his cock and moved her hand up and down, pressing into it with her palm. They continued to kiss furiously until Penny moved to straddle him. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ You remain my power,my pleasure, my pain~~~~~~~~~~

 

He stared up at her, his hands grasping her hips, moving her on top of his manhood. She slowly worked herself downward till he was buried deep inside of her. Penny gasped in startled pleasure as his girth was made real to her. She placed both hands on either side of him and began bouncing her ass up and down, watching in satisfaction as Sheldon's head tilted back and his breath became heavily labored. 

"Does this feel good?" Penny breathed, riding him slowly, grinding him deep inside.   
"Penny-" was all he could make out. He moved her hips, thrusting up into her. "My god..." He cried softly, trembling with the intensity of their encounter. 

He rolled over, causing them both a slight amount of pain because of the grittiness and roughness of the sandy ground upon which they were lying. But Penny didn't care. The rougher, the better. Sheldon hardly seemed to care, either. He guided himself deep between her legs. She rose up on her forearms, her legs bent, her knees on either side of each breast. 

Sheldon fucked her like he was trying to hit something deep within her body. He pushed himself in and out of her, each thrust in rocking her whole body. He stroked her deep, hard, and slow, moaning, his eyes closed. Penny wrapped her legs around Sheldon's back, forcing him to stay in deep, where he began to thrust quicker, groaning in her ear. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. The more I get of you the stranger it feels. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. I've been kissed by a rose on the grey.~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Penny, you-feel-so-amazing," he spoke each word with each thrust.   
"Fuck me, Sheldon," Penny nearly squealed as she felt herself nearing orgasm. He growled in response and fucked her harder as was instructed.

His whole body went rigid. "Penny-"   
"Yes sweetie," she moaned, digging her nails into him. She was ready. Waves of pleasure washed over her and she felt herself squirt all over Sheldon who was still pounding away with fevered excitement. She clenched her teeth together to keep from shouting. 

Sheldon's hand covered her mouth to muffle her as he lost it with a gruff groan, his thrusts jerky with his release. Slowing down, his hand moved away from her mouth. They stared at each other, both breathing heavily.

 

~~~~~~~~~~ But did you know that when it snows....my eyes become larger...the light that you shine can be seen~~~~~~~~

 

Penny grabbed her dress and quickly pulled it over her head while Sheldon dressed. 

"What now?" She asked him, trying not to feel too emotional but failing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference- Kiss From A Rose by Seal


	6. Chapter 6

Seven year old Leonard Hofstadter stood right outside the doors to his classroom, watching his classmates play on the recess jungle gym. He watched them hang on the monkey bars and swing as high as they could, wishing he could join them. He knew what would happen if he did. 

His mother had gotten calls from the schools before. Calls of concern that Leonard was socially underdeveloped, that he didn't 'play well with others.' His mother, of course, never took any action. She wanted him to toughen up. She'd wanted him to toughen up ever since he was an infant, from the day he'd been born when she decided not to breastfeed him because breastfeeding only coddled. 

As soon as he'd made it to the edge of the little park, Brittney Sanderson ran into him, shoving him to the ground. His glasses flew off his face and Leonard prayed they weren't broken. He didn't want any excuse for his mother to tell him he was weak. 

"Little Lenny Hofstadter can't get a girlfriend!" Brittney's high voice shreaked as the rest of the kids joined in. 

"You're a geek!"  
"No one's EVER gonna like you!"   
"Lenny! Lenny! Lenny! Lenny!" 

 

Leonarard awoke with a jerk. He spotted Howard in the bed next to his and remembered that he was thousands of miles from home. The moonlight shown through the window and he sighed. He hated waking up while it was still dark out. It usually meant he wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep. 

It didn't take a doctorate to know why he was having a hard time. It was Penny. It was the never ending cycle of trying to be exactly what she needed so that he didn't have to feel the overwhelming anxiety of rejection. Oh, he could handle basic rejection; he'd dealt with it all his life. It was the rejection that came after thinking he'd found someone who loved him. 

He rolled over on his side, trying to close his eyes and drift back off to sleep, but as soon as he did, all he saw was Sheldon and Penny slow dancing on the beach. It wasn't that they'd been dancing together, they'd done that plenty of times. It was how shed looked so at peace, so content. Leonard had been trying to get that reaction out of her since they'd met. All he ever did was seem to get under her skin, but Sheldon- obsessive, neurotic Sheldon- was able to make her face go all passive agressive-like? 

Leonard thought about breaking up with Penny lots of times. Maybe all the time. But he did love her. He loved how she made him feel about himself. And without that, where would he be left? Left to deal with the memories of his mother? The very reason he'd left home for California.

These thoughts kept Leonard up for the rest of the night, tossing and turning. He didn't want to hurt anyone and he didn't want to be hurt... How could he possibly get through to her... 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ When my blood runs warm with the warm red wine, I miss the life that I left behind. When I hear the sound of the blackbirds cry, I know I left in the nick of time.~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sheldon and Penny sat on the beach watching the sun come up, the waves tickling their toes, the warm Jamaican breeze brushing through their hair. 

He didn't think they'd ever talked that long before. After they'd made their way out of the trees last night, they'd taken the dirt path for a few miles to a part of the beach they hadn't been and where no one else was. Using the sand as a warm blanket, they'd fallen asleep under the stars, the waves their lullaby. 

Penny laid across his chest, running her hands along the bare skin the buttons from his shirt failed to cover. They lay there, talking about everything from science to personal relationships. Sheldon's demeaning remarks became funny jokes, both of them laughing at his social awkwardness until streaks of gold began to replace the night sky. They watched the sun rise over the ocean together, Sheldon admiring the natural beauty of astronomy , Penny admiring the awesomeness of some higher power. 

"I thought I was alone," she said sleepily.   
"What do you mean?" He cradled her in the wing of his arm, brushing a strand of hair off of her cheek. The feeling of human touch was something he'd long since forgotten he'd liked.   
"I just didn't think that you could ever like someone like me." 

 

~~~~~~~~~~ If I wander till I die, may I know whose hand I'm in. If my home I'll ever find, let me live again.~~~~~~~~~~

 

They made love as the sun rose; or at least that's the only way Sheldon could have described it. They rolled around naked in the sand as though Ochos Rios was their own personal bubble, kissing and petting. Penny didn't bother to muffle her cries for which he was grateful. Their hands intertwined, palms pressed against each others as he stroked her, staring into her eyes. He let himself release inside of her for a second time, wrapped tightly in her arms. 

"Sheldon?" She whispered. "Please don't stop..."   
Sheldon smiled softly, watching her fall asleep. Stopping this was the last thing he wanted to do. 

 

Later that day, Penny, Amy, And Bernadette went to the hotel's salon. Amy was especially excited. Penny watched the glow on her face as they sat in chairs side by side. She could tell by her face that she was sure this was going to get Sheldon's attention. She tried to squelch her own glow to avoid questioning from the girls, but it was too late. 

"Did you and Leonard make up?" Bernadette guessed. She and Amy were looking at Penny who realized a second too late she had been sitting there smiling.   
"Make up? Why would be be making up?" 

Amy exchanged a look with Bernadette. "We'd noticed you neglecting your normal behaviors around him and he didn't seem to happy about it. This implied a lover's qaurrel."   
Penny shrugged. "Yeah, we've been having some issues. I guess that's normal when you don't have anything in common." As soon as she said this, she realized that neither did her and Sheldon, but she felt differently around him...

"Why are you blushing?" Bernadette asked, amused. Clearly, she and Amy both saw that she was choosing not to divulge something and they were both clearly interested.   
"Am I? I think it's the humidity." 

Bernadette and Penny had both gotten a simple blowout and curl, but Amy had pulled out all the stops. She'd had her hair twisted up Marie Antoinette style with a few strands hanging down, her face blanketed with a virgin coat of makeup. Penny's first thought was that Sheldon probably wouldn't even notice, but the malice of such a thought disgusted her. She was already going to hell for being so disloyal to two friends at once, she was determined to at least not be catty. 

She felt out of control. Before last night, Penny thought that maybe she was just being reckless as she oftentimes could, but the first time hadn't satisfied her want for.more. Nor had the second time. She couldn't stop thinking about how she wanted to see him again and that thought alone blew her mind. Never in a million years did she think she could have such a strong pull towards Sheldon Cooper. 

Her suspicions had been correct. As they met the guys an hour later, Amy was not the first one Sheldon's eyes found. She felt the familiar warmness creep onto her cheeks and she lowered her eyes, fighting a bashful smile. 

"Can we talk?" Leonard asked. 

He led her to the sofa sitting in the middle of the lobby. Penny dreaded whatever conversation was coming next. 

"What's going on with you?" He demanded, pushing his glasses back up his nose.   
Penny feigned ignorance. "I don't know what you mean."   
"Give me some credit, Penny. You've been acting really weird ever since we flew down here and everyone can see it."   
"Who's everyone?"   
"Howard, Raj, Sheldon, Amy Bernadette, everyone!"   
Amy rolled her eyes. She knew he was exaggerating. Sheldon had been acting weird, too, but thanks to Sheldon's history of odd behavior, no one suspected it had anything to do with her.   
"Just tell me what can I do?" His tone took on a pleading one. "What am I doing wrong?"   
Penny sighed. "I don't know." 

She walked him walk off angrily, feeling bad that he was in distress but at the same time feeling annoyed that he couldn't be more of a man and stop thinking there was always something wrong. It's why there was something wrong in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference- The Longer I Run by Peter Bradley Adams


	7. Chapter 7

~~~~~~~~~~ Bite chunks out of me. You're a shark and I'm swimming. My heart still thumps as I bleed and all your friends come sniffing.~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days proved to Sheldon that this trip had little to to do with scientific research or vacation. He felt as though he'd been underwater and was just now coming up for air. What he was experiencing with Penny was exciting and liberating. 

There wasn't a second where he could take his eyes or his hands off of her. During mealtimes, their fingers brushed each other lovingly underneath the table. Sheldon would carress his hand along her knee, enjoying the little game of power. The goosebumps along her soft skin thrilled him. 

~~~~~~~~~~ Triangles are my favorite shape. Three points where two lines meet. Toe to toe, back to back, let's go my love. It's very late, till morning comes, let's tessellate.~~~~~~~~~~

The more Sheldon grew attatched to Penny, the more he noticed Amy's behavior change. She seemed much more irritable, less patient, and almost desperate. He began to stress whenever he thought about how Amy would feel if she knew that her two favorite people in all the world were meeting behind her back. He felt even worse when he realized that he cared more about how Leonard would feel. He would never be forgiven. With Penny, however, he felt that he had found something entirely more valuable than anything he'd ever shared with anyone besides his own mother: peace. 

"Sheldon?"  
Amy's voice brought Sheldon out of his reverie. They were seated at a nice little beach front restaurant eating lobster and listening to the sound of a local band play slow, soft reggae. 

"I'm sorry," Sheldon apologized sincerely. "I was thinking about-"  
Amy waited. She obviously had tried her absolute best to impress. She wore a white blouse and a white denim skirt. Her hair fell behind her in a French braid.  
"Never mind." Sheldon shook his head and poked around at his lobster.  
"There's something I want to talk to you about."  
He looked up at her, trying to guess what this was about from the emotion in her eyes. She looked a little uneasy.  
"There's something going on with Leonard and Penny," she began carefully, Sheldon paying strict attention. "It doesn't take a genius to to see it either and I know the two of you talk..." She trailed off, watching him.  
"You think I know what's going on with them?" Sheldon asked, trying hard to fix his face into what he hoped was a truly bemused expression.  
"I just sometimes think they would be better off without each other. Not only do they make each other miserable, they make everyone else miserable when they're together."  
"I agree," Sheldon stated enthusiastically. Amy smiled and he could see she had taken that as a positive sign they were still a team. "I've been telling her Leonard's not the right one."  
"What?"  
"What are you guys doing here?"  
The interruption saved Sheldon from turning his awkward comment into literal disaster. Penny and Leonard stood before them. Leonard looked happy which didn't go unnoticed by Sheldon. Had they...? He turned his eyes to Penny, who looked radiant as always. She was always so damned gorgeous... Her little black dress showed off her slender curves, her blonde hair twisted into an elegant knot at the top of her head.  
"It's date night even in Jamaica," Amy explained a little coyly, or so Sheldon thought or was it just his paranoid imagination?  
"What are you doing here?" Sheldon asked, his own voice a little darker than he'd meant it to be, still imagining Penny underneath Leonard.  
"Same," Leonard smiled, drawing Penny closer to him. Something about the way he did it seemed robotic to Sheldon. He'd never known how to hold Penny the right way. He caught Penny's eyes and a hint of an apology flashed across her bright green pupils.  
"I guess we'll leave you to it." Penny barely smiled before walking away towards the bathroom. She removed Leonard's arm from around her waist.  
"Absolute train wreck," Amy muttered, staring after them.  
Sheldon had just decided on a dessert when he felt a hand slide into his pocket.  
"This is for later." Penny said earnestly. Sheldon was shocked at her boldness. Amy watched with little interest and he supposed it was because of her lack of discrepancy that Amy suspected nothing. Penny had always been a social genius.  
After she had gone, Sheldon fingered the material in his pocket underneath the table. Small, lacy, with strings on the-  
Sheldon just stopped himself from gasping aloud. He was holding Penny's panties in his hand, the center still wet from where it had came into contact with her moist womanhood. 

~~~~~~~~~~ Chunks of you will sink down to seals. Blubber rich in morning, they'll nosh you up. Yes, they'll nosh the love away but it's fair to say you still haunt me.~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as they had any opourtunity to be alone, Sheldon and Penny met without words in each other's arms right on their spot on their private little beach. Watching them, you would think they were some long lost lovers who hadn't joined lips in ages. They kissed as though they couldn't get enough. They made love with the urgency of two people who would never again become one. 

Penny clung to him with her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso. He drove into her, striving to please. Her lips were like soft petals, her body a goddess's under the moonlight. 

~~~~~~~~~~ Triangles are my favorite shape. Three points where two lines meet. Toe to toe, back to back, let's go my love. It's very late- till morning comes, let's tessellate.~~~~~~~~~~

"Can we please just forget about Raj and go?" Howard pleaded with Bernadette. "I'm really not even hungry anyways." He slid his hands around her waist and smiled at them in the dresser mirror.  
"Won't his feelings be hurt?"  
Howard shrugged. "Yeah, probably, but it wouldn't be any different from him stealing all my egg rolls. This is me...taking back my egg rolls."  
Bernie smiled and turned around, kissing Howard softly on the lips. "I'm not an egg roll."  
"Ohhhh," Howard smiled slyly. "Come on, there's somewhere I want to show you. We walk past it on the way to and from the work site." 

He led Bernie out of the hotel and around to to the palm tree strewn path, the only light from the moon, shining down through the canopy of leaves. The beach he was leading her too was a smaller one, sort of cut off from the hotel's main beach. It would be the perfect, romantic evening. Before he could push aside the last group of leaves barring their way onto the beach, they heard a strange sound drifting towards them. 

"What is that?" Bernie whispered.  
Howard put a finger to his lips and strained his ears. The sound became more prominent and he recognized it as a woman's cry of pleasure. Bernie clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Howard slowly and quietly pushed the leaves aside so as to get a glimpse of whether the coast was clear or not. Disappointment settled as he realized his perfect spot was being occupied by.... By SHELDON?! Howard's mouth dropped.  
"Penny," Bernie hissed. She rushed forward, pulling Howard with her. The two naked people stopped moving as soon as the sound of footsteps in the sand approached. 

As soon as Howard got closer, he did indeed see Penny and Sheldon. Naked. Together. The shock ran through him like the wave of a painkiller coursing its way through the bloodstream. They stared back at Howard and Bernadette in equal shock and horror; deer in headlights. 

~~~~~~~~~~ Go alone, my flower and keep my whole lovely you. Wild green stones, my lover and keep us on my heart~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you crazy?" Bernie yelped, the first to recover and find her voice.  
"Please don't tell anyone! You can't!" Penny begged, scrambling to her feet, accepting her dress from Sheldon and wrapping it around herself like a towel.  
"You had sex. With Penny." Howard said flatly, more to himself, but still looking at Sheldon who was dressing himself with a look of superior annoyance etched across his face. "You had sex. With an actual woman."  
"Look, please," Penny continued, her eyes filling with tears. She looked at Sheldon. "We- we don't know what this is."  
"This is wrong," Howard said, interrupting, finally coming out of his shock. "You can't do this to Leonard."  
"And Amy," Bernadette added.  
Penny held her face in her hands. "Can you just let us do the talking?"  
Howard exchanged a look with his wife. 

~~~~~~~~~~ Three guns and one goes off. One's empty, one's not quick enough. One burn, one red, one grin. Search the graves while the camera spins~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference- Tessellate by Alt-J


	8. Chapter 8

Currently posting on quotev.com


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